Pot-lifter.



PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

W. WHITTEN. POT LIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26. 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WESTON WHITTEN, OF UNITY, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT BACON,OF UNITY, MAINE.

POT-LIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'ratented May 15, 1906.

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WESTON WHITTEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Unity, in the county of Waldo and State of Maine, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pot-Lifters, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention comprises a simple form of lifting device particularlydesigned for conveying heated pots or like receptacles from one place toanother.

The invention is particularly adapted for lifting receptacles having asuitable handle; and the invention includes engaging means for takingthe lid of the receptacle off or re placing it, as desired.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective viewshowing the invention in position upon a receptacle. Fig.

2 is a detail perspective view of the invention alone. Fig. 3 is a planview of the lifter. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the device inoperative position, as when removing a lid of a receptacle.

My improved pot-lifter is designed principally for use with bean-pots ofordinary form, one of which is herein illustrated, comprising a top 1,having a handle 2, and provided with a lid having the customaryknob-like projection 4, which ordinarily forms a handle in themanipulation of the lid in removing or replacing the same from and uponthe body 1.

My improved lifter consists of a curved brace 7, provided at one endonly with a fork 8, providing spaced engaging members 9. The curvatureof the brace 7 corresponds approximately to the curvature of the body 1of the pot, and the members 9 of the fork 8 at one end of said brace areadapted to engage the handle or projection 4 of the lid 3, so as toadmit of using the device in removing and replacing its closure in amanner which will be hereinafter specifically described. To the middleportion of the curved brace 7 there is connected one end of a bar whichinitially extends from the curved brace in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the plane of the brace, whereby to form a shank 6. The

bar forming said shank then extends angularly from said shank in anoutward direction from the curved brace, whereby to form one member of ahandle portion 5, and is then returned upon itself to form the otherportion of the handle member 5 and extends obliquely away from the shank6 at the point where the shank merges into the first-named handlemember, and the other end or extremity of said bar is returned uponitself in a plane approximately parallel with the plane of the brace,whereby said returned extremity forms a side entering hook 10, designedto engage with handle 2 of the pot when the curved brac'e7 extendsaround the pot, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The curved brace 7 possessestwo functions and coacts both with the hook 10 and with the fork 9, aswill be now explained.

In the practical use of the device to remove bean-pots or likereceptacles from the oven or the like the handle portion 5 is graspedand the brace 7 is placed against the side of the pot below the handle2, while the hook 10 is entered laterally into the handle 2 and engagesthe same. When in this position, it is manifest that the top may beconveniently lifted as a whole, the curved brace 7 in said applicationcoacting with the hook 10 for this purpose. After the pot has beenbodily removed the lifter may be conveniently released from the positionjust described and turned axially, so as to insert its fork members 9underneath and on opposite sides of the knob-like handle 4 of the lid 3.At the same time the other end of the curved brace 7 will be placed incontact with the side of the pot, and then by a downward movement of thedevice on the said end as a fulcrum the lid 8 may be tilted to an openposition, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and be conveniently liftedfrom the body 1 of the pot. It is evident that this initial tiltingmovement of the lid is useful preparatory to lifting the lid bodily fromthe pot, because by so doing engagement of the handle 4 with the members9 is insured, and liability of dropping the lid and breaking the same isconsequently obviated. In lifting the lid from the body of the pot thecurved brace 7, as has just been described, coacts with the fork, aswell as coacting with the hook 10 in the other position of the liftingdevice.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is As animproved article of manufacture, a pot-lifter consisting of a curvedbrace 7 provided at one end with a fork, and a bar having one endconnected to thecurved brace at the middle thereof, and said barextending from said brace substantially perpendicularly to the plane ofsaid brace whereby to form a shank 6, and said bar further extending inan angular direction from the upper end of said shank and in a directionoutwardly from the said curved brace whereby to form one member of ahandle and being returned upon itself whereby to form the other memberof said handle, the other end or we tremity of said bar being returnedupon itself in a plane approximately parallel with the plane of thebrace to form a side entering hook designed to engage a handle of a pot,whereby said brace will coact with said hook to lift the top bodily, andwhereby also the fork end of said brace will engage the pot-lid and theother end of said brace rest against the side of a pot and constitute afulcrum upon which the lifter may be moved to tilt the lid to an openposition, preparatory to moving it bodily from the pot.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WESTON WHITTEN. Witnesses: Y

HELEN U. BATCHELDER, RALPH I. MoRsE.

